Introduction
Playwright:
Derek Walcott
Born in St Lucia
Wrote the play in New York in 1957
The Play:
The play is a folk fable. It incorporates the African storytelling tradition and St Lucian rituals like the Christmas black mass dances.
The play uses “the ancient choric device.”
“The mood is playful and festive.”
A Jamaican reviewer interpreted the play to be about the struggle against colonialism.
Prologue
The Prologue:
introduces the characters
introduces the conflict/plot
introduces the setting
introduces the themes
Chorus
Acts as narrators.
Introduces the central characters
Comments on the action
Stage Directions
The opening stage directions reveal the setting of the play (location, time of day, weather), introduce the chorus and the mother (characters) and hints at the theme of poverty.
Stage directions add to characterization: how Gros Jean walks, how the creatures react, etc.
Show how props and sound effects/music are used.
Props
Related to poverty – empty bowl, bare table
Props are used to indicate the brothers’ jobs (faggots and fishing line) and also interest (books)
Music
Characterization: Gros Jean performs an exaggerated march to music.
A drum roll and comic quatro introduce Mi-Jean, and the mother is introduced with “sad music on flute.”
The mood and music change again with the entrance of the devil and his servants: cymbals, shrieks, thunder.
Bolom enters with the sound of wind, rain and insects.
Bolom later imitates the crying of a child.
Lighting
It is a dark rainy evening.
Red for the devil.
Blue for Bolom.
Comprehension Questions
Introduction
Pages 3-8
1.
Who is the dramatist?
2.
Where was he born?
3.
Where did he write the play?
4.
When was it written?
5.
What type of play does the dramatist call Ti-Jean and His Brothers? (page 4)
6.
What African tradition influenced the play?
7.
What St. Lucian rituals contributed to the play?
8.
Which ‘characters’ form the chorus?
9.
How is the mood of the opening scene described on page 6?
10.
“Intuitive” is used in the introduction to describe Ti-Jean. What does the word mean?
11.
How did the Jamaican reviewer interpret the play? (page 7)
Prologue
1.
How were stage directions used at the start?
2.
Describe the setting. (Read the entire Prologue first.)
3.
Identify two allusions/references to traditional theatre.
4.
Why was Ti-Jean placed in the moon?
5.
Describe each of the brothers.
6.
How do the stage directions and props help in their characterization?
7.
Contrast the music played for the entrance of Mi-Jean and then for the mention of his mother.
8.
Describe the boys’ mother.
9.
Describe the entrance of the devil and his fiends. How is the mood changed again?
10.
How is the stupidity of Gros-Jean and Mi-Jean revealed? What is the effect?
11.
What is the relationship between the two brothers and Ti-Jean?
12.
What two things do they compare him to?
13.
How is the music for Bolom’s entrance described? What other sounds are heard?
14.
Who is Bolom?
15.
How are the mother’s kindness and wisdom revealed?
16.
Why was Bolom sent?
17.
What role do the animals play?
18.
How is the end of the Prologue suspenseful?
19.
Why do you think the dramatist needed a prologue anyway?
20.
What is the effect of the song “Give the Devil a child for dinner”?
21.
Research the history of St. Lucia to explain why French was used.
Hello, what is the answer for when the mood changed when the devil and his friends entered
ReplyDeleteHi what is the answer for the relationship between ti-jean and their mother?
DeleteHi what is the answer for the relationship between ti-jean and their mother?
DeleteThe mood was one of fear as it shows/tell that the creatures cower and the sound of the cymbals crash and there was a strike of thunder and persons are always seen to cower when they are afraid. The sky is also said to be red and the color red is normally seen to represent blood or death.
DeleteHow does the prologue shed light on the conflicts and thems
ReplyDeleteIdentify two allusions/references to traditional theatre
ReplyDeleteIdk
DeleteWhat is category does the play fall in
ReplyDelete....
What is the signifacnce of the empty bowl and bare table describe in prologue
Poverty
DeleteWhy did Derek Walcott uses animal to plot the prologue?
ReplyDeleteTo enhance the play
DeleteWhat african tradition influenced the play ?
ReplyDeleteall now am still trying to find out th!
DeleteIt is the art of the storyteller
DeleteArt of the story tellor
DeleteHow was the mother's kindness and wisdom revealed?
ReplyDeleteIt was because of the moon in the prologue. And in the prologue it says that the moon is a warrior. The moon is usually introduced as a women. Tje moon is the mom because she supports her family...
DeleteQuotes on the forest anyone??
ReplyDeleteWhere can u find the answers from the questions
ReplyDeleteWhere can we find the naswer for the question
ReplyDeleteHi what are the important events in the prologue
DeleteDescribe the setting in the prolouge
ReplyDeletest lucian rituals in the play
ReplyDeleteHow the playwright uses stage directions to present a clearer understanging of gros jean as a charcter
ReplyDeleteAre there any actual answers to these questions
ReplyDeletewhy was ti-jean placed in the moon?
ReplyDeleteHow us the stupidity of gros jean and mijean revealed and what is the effect
ReplyDeleteWhat are the stage properties in the play and who uses them?
ReplyDeleteWhy was Ti-Jean placed in the moon?
ReplyDeleteI dont think he was literally placed on the moon. He was known as the man on the moon because he was refered too as the suns right hand man (the moon) when he defeated the devil. Which i assumed to mean. He defeated the darkness with his light.
DeleteIdentify two allusions/references to traditional theatre
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the effect of the song give the devil a child for dinner
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWhat were the elements of drama present in the prologue
ReplyDelete10 props that are used by actors in the play
ReplyDeleteHow is the end of the Prologue suspenseful?
ReplyDelete14. What is the effect of the song “Give the Devil a child for dinner”?
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteDescribe the setting.
a hut in the forest
DeleteHow are the mother’s kindness and wisdom revealed?
ReplyDeleteHow is the end of the Prologue suspenseful?
how is the ending if the prologue suspenseful?
ReplyDeleteWhat is the description of the hut based on stage direction
ReplyDeleteHow is each brother described to the audience
ReplyDelete